Tangled up in Blue
Certified Senior Citizen⭐
Maybe someone could get Ron Martin to come on here and tell his story?
Ha! Don't think many would like it.
Maybe someone could get Ron Martin to come on here and tell his story?
Moved from Malvern to Eastwood in 1968. Dad was a rugby lover and mum liked cricket, so football was completely new to me.
My sister, who had a BF who was a Shrimper took me to my first game, circa 1971 or 72. We always stood on the North Bank and I loved it. She took me to Upton Park twice and I found it mind numbingly boring. The love affair was born and here we are almost 50 years later.
IN THE first of our series speaking to Southend United fans, Paul Harrison looks back on his time watching the Shrimpers at Roots Hall.
More...
Where ShrimperZone leads so others will follow.........................?
One of my favourite players in the early days of RH was Sammy Mcilroy.He was a great ball player and he won his only Northern Ireland cap while at Southend. The match was played at Wembley and he scored in a 3 1 victory against England. In about 1974 I had to go to Belfast to work in my firms office for .one week on holiday relief. We were handling insurance claims during those troubled times. Because of those problems we travelled out of Belfast in the evenings to eat and on one occasion went to Donagedee . Upon walking into a small bar I found it belonged to Sammy and was able to have a very interesting conversation with him. The walls were covered with photographs of him with his international cap and it was a very unexpected and great evening.
Think you may mean Sammy McCrory (Samuel McKee McCrory) who played for Southend United for 5 seasons 1955-1960, he joining on the 1st June 1955 from Plymouth Argyle and left 1st May 1960 joining Cambridge United.One of my favourite players in the early days of RH was Sammy Mcilroy.He was a great ball player and he won his only Northern Ireland cap while at Southend. The match was played at Wembley and he scored in a 3 1 victory against England. In about 1974 I had to go to Belfast to work in my firms office for .one week on holiday relief. We were handling insurance claims during those troubled times. Because of those problems we travelled out of Belfast in the evenings to eat and on one occasion went to Donagedee . Upon walking into a small bar I found it belonged to Sammy and was able to have a very interesting conversation with him. The walls were covered with photographs of him with his international cap and it was a very unexpected and great evening.
Thanks for correcting me shows I have been around for a while!Think you may mean Sammy McCrory (Samuel McKee McCrory) who played for Southend United for 5 seasons 1955-1960, he joining on the 1st June 1955 from Plymouth Argyle and left 1st May 1960 joining Cambridge United.
In his 5 seasons he made total of 222 appearances scoring 99 goals (205 League with 91 goals and 17 FA Cup with 8 goals).
He also scored the first ever goal at the new Roots Hall on the opening day of the 1955/56 season on the 20th August 1955 in our 3-1 against Norwich City.
His only appearance and goal for Northern Ireland came against England at Wembley in 1957 in their 3-1 win.
Sammy played for Linfield, Swansea Town, Ipswich Town, Plymouth Argyle, Southend United, Cambridge United, and Crusaders during his career.
After retiring from football, he ran the Port O Call Pub in Donaghadee, Northern Ireland which overlooked the Donaghadee Harbour, and his friend George Best performed the opening ceremony back in 1969.
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Sam McCrory's Port O Call Pub Donaghadee
Sammy passed away on the 4th May 2011 at the age of 86
RIP Sammy
Link to Thread about Sammy when he passed away
I am taking the opportunity to sort out cupboards and came across this photo taken at a sportsman dinner in the Far Post bar many years ago. I am NOT the one with the whiskers.So my story started in the summer of 1989. Up until then I had no interest in football. My Father and brother were regular visitors to Roots Hall but I didn't want to join them. I had been dragged along in the 70's and 80's and I remember standing on the old South bank. I spent matches running up and down that terrace. The only thing I looked forward to was a Bovril at half time. I hated it when Southend scored because I didn't like loud noises as a child, luckily It didnt happen often.
So to the summer of 89. I was 19 and had managed to evade football throughout my adolescence, My older brother had discovered women and my Dad was on his own going to games. I couldn't let him go on his own so whilst I was at a loose end and he caught me in a moment of weakness I agreed to go to a pre-season firendly against Basildon United. For the first time I actually watched the game and surprisingly I actually enjoyed it! Such a polar change to go from disliking football to actually enjoying it.
After the Basildon friendly I agreed with Dad I would go the league games. My first game at Roots Hall where I would have actually watched the game would have been vs York on Friday 18th August 1989. Apparently Walsh and Crown scored in a 2-0 win. It's funny but I always struggle to remember indivual games and only remember some moments. I remember Brett Angell's crashing half volley against Swindon (still one of my favourite goals). The league win over West Ham comes to mind as do the Cup trips to the Millenium stadium and of course the fantastic day at Wembley when we beat Wycombe to go back to the 3rd Tier. I hugged my Dad after those penalties and thanked him for introducing me to something so special.
So we are now both Season ticket holders and have been for a number of years. We still go together and look forward to the games (apart from this season). My brother comes occassionally when he gets a free weekend from the kids. So we are all back together.
I really miss the football, despite how bad things were for us this season. This club binds us and creates an unbreakable bond between us. It gives us something that we need. For me it gives me a break from work pressures and the general monotony of life.
I know at this current time, football isn't really that important. Hopefully one day soon we can all get back on with our lives and talk about the trials and tribulations of our club.
Keep well all and I look forward to the time we are arguing about formations and team selections!